BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has formally addressed and dismissed widespread media speculation suggesting that the upcoming ODI at Lord's against England would be Rohit Sharma's final appearance for India. Saikia emphasized that there have been no discussions regarding the veteran batter's retirement, stating firmly that Rohit remains a regular member of the national ODI squad.
Addressing the rumors, Saikia clarified that the 39-year-old cricketer will continue to represent the country as long as he remains in the team's plans. The speculation gained momentum during the second ODI in Cardiff, where Rohit scored 26 off 47 balls, following an earlier dismissal for 11 runs off 21 balls at Edgbaston. Despite these performances, India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak expressed confidence in the player, noting that Rohit is not under pressure and expects a different performance in the next match.
Behind the scenes, selectors have reportedly been planning for the future with the 2027 ODI World Cup in Africa in mind, with discussions regarding the team's direction beginning during IPL 2026 involving head coach Gautam Gambhir. Selectors had previously informed Rohit that they intended to provide more opportunities to younger openers.
Rohit holds a distinguished record in the format, having scored 11,757 runs at an average of 48.58, making him the seventh-highest run-scorer in ODI history. He remains the only batter with three double-centuries and holds the record for the highest individual score of 264. Earlier this year, he became the oldest male cricketer to represent India in an ODI, surpassing Mohinder Amarnath during the Dharamsala fixture against Afghanistan in June. He made scores of 16, 48 and 79 in that three-match series. Having already retired from T20Is following the 2024 World Cup victory and from Test cricket in May 2025, Rohit has focused exclusively on the ODI format over the past 12 months. His position has faced consistent scrutiny since the Ajit Agarkar-led panel replaced him as ODI captain with Gill in October 2025, a change that occurred 33 months after he led the team to a Champions Trophy title in 2019.
